Saturday, February 22, 2014

Today post is a bit of a basic update, I've finished Feathweight, made a little progress on the Gladys socks, and realised that overthinking is my weak point and at times creates more challenge than I need. Over thinking results in me abandoning projects all to soon. Having had what might amount to a knitting epiphany - I now conclude that a loose gauge might not be such a bad thing.

Feather weight is done, and blocked and worn and worn and worn. The light spot isn't a hole, just bright light I think, really I'm not sure, I didn't notice it until I posted the photo. We finally got a summer days that lasted more than an afternoon or a day - we had almost a week of the kind of weather that made us wonder if we should buy a fan just to keep cool. This has been perfect for those days over a sleeveless dress. I was cautious with the length, given the fine gauge I kept the sleeves just below the elbow so when writing or working I wouldn't wear them to shreds or felt them. I've also realised that long cardigans can be frumpy with shaped dresses, my current wardrobe is mostly dresses, so kept it short. I had 100 grams and was worried I would run short ... Ended up with 34 grams left. Oh well it could have been a little longer ... But now it's done I'm not going back - besides it grew three inches when blocking so perhaps it's best I kept it short.

What I love is the filmy see through nature of this, and it floats when I wear it - I love that and realize that firm gauges don't do that. Now I have a dilemma - as in the past I opted for firm gauges so my knitting had durability, kept it shape and held fast. That's all very well - and this won't wear as long as a cardigan knit with thicker yarn or on finer needles - but it will drape better. And I can knit another - besides it might surprise me with how long it lasts.

With that belated realization I rethought my approach to Slanted Sleeven. Late last year i swatched for Slanted Sleeven and decided I liked the swatch with a tighter gauge than the pattern called for, so I attoted to size up the pattern to suit a firmer gauge. Now this cardigan is constructed using a modified contiguous method - so I got lost in the sizing up, and the extra numbers of stitches and how they relatd to the increases and the unique shaping. I abandoned the project. Headed off to knit Featherweight. With Feather weight done and my new appreciation of the gauge in play ... I started sSanted Sleeven again. Three nights in and I'm already working the sleeve caps. This time around the shaping is making sense, and I'm loving the fabric. Way back in October 2013 - that wasn't how I felt.

And with being all excited with my slanted Sleeven redo .. The Gladys sock has't made much progress, but I do like the way this blue works with the gansey patterning.

Friday, February 14, 2014

Yes there has been knitting, progress even. My feather weight is more done than not, I have progressed far enough on the baby blanket that I need to spin more yarn - and I even have started a sock.

The exciting new project first, a sock, in blue. I wanted something textured for this yarn, Chance, by Vintage Purls, the sock is Gladys by General Hogbuffer, which is a fantastic name for a sock author. The Gladys comes from the gansey patterning documented by Gladys Thompson in her book Patterns for guernseys, jerseys and arans. The yarn is one of the most even blues I have seen come from the house of Vintage Purls, usually there is more variation, subtle shade changes ... I am not complaining as this is perfect for gansey patterning.

The cardigan grows to ...look - a sleeve!

Not only that but the second sleeve, knitting these is not fun, usually sleeves progress fast, but not here. Past experience has taught me that knitting lace weight on circs can result in ladders ... So I switched to dpns, and the ends keep getting caught in the already knitted fabric. Not enough to pull or damage but enough to slow me down. The body looks smoother as I have steam blocked it, the sleeve much more textured.

Before working the sleeves I completed the neck and front band - all 3.5" of it. I used the same sized needles as the body as I wasn't going for any kind of pull in, this design needs drape.

And the baby blanket grows, round and round, larger and larger, I've just about knit to the end of the second skein, so have wound up the third skein all ready.

Which means I probably need to spend the next few weeks spinning more. I've no idea specifically how large I want this to be, but I know I want large enough to cover a toddler in a buggy, on a cold winter day. That means at least the same amount of yarn again. Another three skeins.

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Me

I knit, there is more, I spin too, make books, and play with ink printing, and I work, and have a family. There are two knitting groups, one spinning group and I love process ...on Ravelry I'm Knitfrogknit. Sometimes I get to teach knitting things. Lately there has been a growing interest in in vintage fountain pens, inks, and old fashioned pencils ... truly I am a geek in these things.

On my book shelf

Fish count : 144 + 13

I'm knitting Knitting Arrows Fish blanket, my version is on show @ Ravelry, here, along with many many others.So I have 144 sewn together and 13 ready to add, making a total of .... 157 small fish.I'm using up the left over yarn sock yarn, and started this in January 2007. It is a slow-food project, aimed at a long term outcome, not a quick weekend knit.